This blog contains information about the basic teachings and history of the FLDS Church.

Thursday, May 7, 2009

FLDS Beliefs 101 - One Man Rule

The FLDS traces its roots and authority from God back to a group of families who believed they were instructed by God to keep the principle of plural marriage alive after the Mormon Church abandoned the practice in 1890.Their families were led by a “priesthood council” -- a group of men.The council had a senior member, but they all made decisions together.In those early years they concentrated on keeping plural marriage alive.They didn’t worry about controlling the people or demanding loyally to one man.But over time things changed in the current FLDS doctrine where loyalty to the “one man” who has the sealing powers is more important than anything else, including families.

In the early 1980s, LeRoy Johnson was the senior member of the priesthood council.“Uncle Roy,” influenced by others seeking power, outlined extreme actions that other members of the council didn’t want to follow.He explained that it was not a democracy, that he didn’t need their support since he held all the keys (authority from God).Marrion Hammon, second in seniority questioned this belief, and referenced a past revelation that stated that all members of the council held the same keys (authority).Johnson insisted that the source of the revelation was of the devil.A serious split resulted in the priesthood council.Marrion Hammon and Alma Timpson could not accept the doctrinal changes Johnson and others were introducing in this power struggle.A split eventually occurred and about 1/3 of the families followed after Hammon and Timpson.They became what was referred to as “the Second Ward.”The rest stayed loyal to Johnson.The Second Ward today is not part of the FLDS and is known as the CentennialPark group.

Johnson decreed this new doctrine:“There is only one man at a time, and that is the way it has been throughout all the history of Gods dealings with people, both in this world and in the world before this one, and the world before that one. Only one man at a time holds the keys and power of the sealing power, and those who act during his administration are only acting under a delegated authority" (LSJ 2/12/84)

Under Rulon Jeffs’ leadership, he further solidified the “one man rule” doctrine.He went so far as to change the history of the group by eliminating from their succession of leaders, any senior member who had taught against the “one man rule” doctrine.In the 1950s, The FLDS magazine “TRUTH” showed their line of authority as: Joseph Smith, Brigham Young, John Taylor, Wilford Woodruff, John Woolley, Lorin Woolley, Leslie Broadbent, Joseph Musser, and Charles Zitting. But Jeffs changed history and now, if you look closely at picture of YFZ walls, and on the FLDS website, you will not see pictures of these men:Wilford Woodruff, Leslie Broadbent, Joseph Musser, and Charles Zitting.These men were eliminated from FLDS history and stripped of their priesthood posthumously because they taught things that didn’t line up with the “one man rule” doctrine desired.

It is rumored that they went even further by sanitizing transcripts of LeRoy Johnson’s sermons after his death, removing references to Joseph Musser during the time he was recognized as being “the one.”

Warren Jeffs taught the FLDS children a different version:“About 15-17 years ago, there were several apostles who turned traitor against President Johnson. Many apostles have fallen away, not believing. There is only one man who holds all the powers of priesthood and is the key holder, and that one man today is President Jeffs. He is our Enoch, our Moses, our Elijah. The work of all the prophets is now alive in President Jeffs. . . .A few years ago, Marion Hammon, Guy Musser, Alma Timpson - men who were ordained apostles - turned traitor against Uncle Roy. They wanted to be the great power over the earth, and they wanted Uncle Roy to die, but President Jeffs was there to help him.” (WSJ 11/20/95)

Now with this “one man rule” established, the FLDS prophet could call all the shots.To the FLDS, the prophet is God to them.They don’t worship the prophet, but his word is God’s word. “Because of this great power President Jeffs holds, he is everything to us. All your happiness comes through him. The Lord has promised this prophet, ‘Whoever you bless, I will bless. Whoever you curse, I will curse.’”“To obey the prophet is to obey God.” (WSJ 11/20/95)“You become like God through obeying the prophet - the man who stands as God.” (WSJ 11/20/95)“We worship the true and living God by obeying His prophet.” (WSJ 11/22/95).

As you can see, for the FLDS today, everything flows through the prophet.A chain of obedience exists.The man must obey the prophet.The woman must obey the husband as he obeys the prophet.If a woman disobeys her husband, she is disobeying the prophet, and disobeying God.“No father, can go off and make up his own rules. For him to stay a faithful father, he must live the prophet's rules. Nobody can be their own big boss and get to heaven, right up to our Savior, direct. You only get to heaven through the living prophet in your time. Because of this great power President Jeffs holds, he is everything to us.” (WSJ 11/20/95)

What is the consequence for not obeying the prophet?One bad thing, is death.“This land has to be cleansed of all the people except the priesthood people [faithful FLDS]. Only those who obey President Jeffs will survive.” (WSJ 11/19/95).“We've told you what happens to the disobedient. They will never see Heavenly Father again.” (WSJ 11/8/95)

A former FLDS member explains “THERE IS NO LOVE. The only motivation out there is FEAR. They live in fear of having all that they hold dear removed from them. They live in fear of going to hell because they do not implicitly obey the fiendish dictates of a man in a desperate power struggle, who just can't seem to get enough.”

An FLDS believer claimed these people aren’t controlled, they have choice: “They are just taught that they are the only true people of God. They don’t have to stay where they are. They choose to. They are true believers of Warren so it’s not like they don’t have a choice, trust me if they didn’t believe in him they would be kicked out.”

Believe or be kicked out, lose your home, family, all that you know and love.This is systematic removal of individuality and free choice in the name of “perfect obedience to authority.”

7 comments:

Anonymous
said...

It sounds to me like their version of God is spiteful and petty and that they are taught to live in fear of being hated/punished by an insecure deity. I see my problem with the whole thing. If I cannot respect deity I will not waste my time no matter how supernatural/powerful...that deity obviously is not the Big Boss.

I have not been taught fear. If any one was afraid, it was because they are /were guilty of something they had done wrong.

Uncle Warren has ONLY invited through love. He teaches what God is like, (Patience, knowledge, mercy, loving, etc.)and what we must do to become like Him. If you don't like it you are FREE to go. We won't even stand in your way. No, we won't even "chase " after you. Good bye and good riddance! Please go your way and I'll go mine.

Let me believe in My God the way I want, and you believe the way you want as well.

Uncle Warren has taught us the Heavenly Father is a kind, patient,loving Father that wants us all to succeed. To become like Him (Heavenly Father), which is ONLY accomplished by obedience to His (Heavenly father)words and commandments.

Warren has shown no patience, has seriously confused the word "love" to the point that love does not exist, and he has definitely NOT shown any mercy, unless you profess complete loyalty to priesthood (warren).

It's not very comforting to know that if I don't agree with what he preaches, I will never see my family again. It's a good thing there is no force tho.

You won't chase after us; you'll just chase after our wives while we are away at work. If we are owed money, as I am, the FLDS will decide they don't have to come square with "apostates". You can go, but expect to not be treated like a fellow mortal being. Our children can have blood leaking out their ears, but the Clinic won't take care of them, we have to drive to Hurricane IHC or call an ambulance.

If God and the Prophet only do right, that means that if you see something that isn't right, God had nothing to do with it, and the person doing it isn't God's prophet. Logic 101.

2:01, it's hard to go your own way as a man when your family is being left behind. It's hard to go your own way as a woman when your precious children are risked being lost. It's hard to go your own way as a family...as human beings when you can lose your house, money, way of life and face the lies of the big bad scary horrible world your about to enter. AT LEAST agree with me on this. If you had to put the Prophet Warren Jeffs and Jesus Christ of Nazereth side by side, who would be the better man. Who would carry more authority and power. Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ correct? As a church, your all should be striving to be Christlike of course. But to add to the already badly torn and bullet ridden holes that make up the fabric of your religion (i'm not trying to dog on your religion, i'm just trying to state my opinion), are you telling me Jesus denied medical care to the sick (like 11:47) and didn't try to reach out to the sinners. Didn't Christ teach Love, and Mercy and everything else you claim Warren Jeff's teaches? I'm waiting to see some action instead of words. Merrill Jessop leaving his wife out on the side of a road in the middle of a desert is not Love, Mercy or Patience and if you think it is, then say no more because you are beyond gone.

“You have a great intelligent mind, but, you will never become more intelligent than the Prophet of God. You will always raise your hand to sustain Him in knowing that He is God’s spokesman, and you will know that He receives revelation. Even though you might be great in your academics, you will always know that His wisdom and knowledge supersedes yours. You will always be obedient. You will always sustain the living Prophet.” This is part of a LDS Patriarchal Blessing I have seen. Notice that the pronouns referring back to the LDS Prophet are capitalized. This is usually only used when pronouns refer to Diety. It is idolatry. It is about the same as the "one man rule" idolatry in the FLDS church. I have faith that a coming "year of cleansing" is coming to Mormonism as promised in 2BC 24. From the looks of things, it can't be far away.

All of you people that are saying that warren Jeffs invites through out love, you are very wrong. Jeffs is a known pedophile and the most of his wives, he marries before legal marriage age. To me that is not like something God would approve of. The general state of being in a FLDS community is not at all "Holy" and for most of the people is like a prison.

Even if there was "excommunication" in the past of young men that "broke the rules" it is not a reason to force all born to a plural family to stay. If you are striving to live an eternity in the heavens you must follow, not the will of some man who proclaims to be prophet to a society, but the will of our lord and saviour Jesus Christ of Nazareth.

Therefore I believe that to get to the heavens you must engage in plural marriage is preposterous.